Knitting machine



Dec. 21, 1965 BECKENSTEIN 3,224,227

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l De- 21, 1965 l l.. BEcKENs-rElN 3,224,227

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY MM 6m AffPA/E/ Dec. 21, 1965 L. BEcKl-:NSTEIN 3,224,227

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,224,227 KNITTING MACHINE Leonard Beckenstein, Freeport, N.Y., assignor of fifty percent to Martin Lahm, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 282,957 12 Claims. (Cl. 66--50) This invention relates to a knitting machine; more particularly to a knitting machine of the type commonly referred to as a circular knitting machine. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a circular knitting machine of the pattern wheel type, and to attachments therefor.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to a knitting machine incorporating pattern wheels for the formation of patterns in knit goods, the present invention being characterized by the ability of a single pattern wheel, without alteration during operation to produce a plurality of patterns.

In pattern wheel knitting machines heretofore known, a pattern wheel, once set with a particular configuration of needle jacks, will necessarily repeat the same pattern each time a complete revolution of the wheel is effected. Thus,V in the knitting of fabric on existing circular knitting machines using pattern wheels, the pattern which the wheel is set to produce is repeated at intervals and any materialknitted on` such machine will necessarily include continuous repeats of the pattern. It is impossible, for instance, in known pattern wheel knitting machines to knit a single narrow strip of pattern the length of the fabric produced. 4

Accordingly, it is an objectof the invention to provide a circular knitting machine of the pattern wheel type wherein a given pattern wheel, without resetting or readjustment of the jacks therein incorporated, may produce two or more patterns.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a circular knitting machine of the pattern wheel operated type wherein the pattern wheel is provided with two or more series of pattern forming needle control slots, which control slots are selectively entered by the needle butts to form two or more. distinct patterns.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel circular knitting machine including novel knitting needle members, at least some of which members include butt portions which are offset from the centerV line of the needles whereby the novel interaction of the needles and pattern wheels will permit a single pattern wheel to formi a plurality of patterns.

Still more particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a circular knitting machine of the pattern wheel type with a specially formed pattern wheel and with novel knitting needles which will permit a given pattern wheel to form a first type of pattern when a first type of needle passes the station at which the wheel is mounted and which will form a second pattern when a type of needle or group of needles distinct from the first type passes said station.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means for converting with therninimum of effort, a standard circular knitting machine of the pattern Wheel type to a machine capable of knitting a plurality of different patterns with a single pattern wheel, without alteration of thesetting of the pattern wheel.

Broadly stated, the use of pattern wheels as the means of forming patterns in conjunction with a circular knitting machine is a well known expedient. The wheels are each rotatably mounted about an axis having a fixed relation to a yarn station. The machine incorporates a vertically disposed needle cylinder having vertical grooves in the outer periphery thereof. The needles are actuated by an ICC annular cam structure to be raised and lowered within limits in coordinated relationship to the pattern wheel' stations. At each pattern wheel station there may be mounted a pattern wheel which is rotatable on an axis inclined to the axis of the cylinder. The pattern wheel includes a plurality of slots extending inwardly from the periphery thereof and at an angle with respect to the upper and lower faces of the wheels. Normally, the wheel is mounted so that the slots are vertically disposed.` The pattern is set in the Wheel by fixing within the slots, or some of them, a needle jack. As the cylinder rotates relatively to the pattern wheel station, butts of the needles which project radially beyond the periphery of the cylinder are partially raised by the annular cam and thereafter enter into successive slots of the pattern Wheel. Thus, upon such relative rotation, the pattern Wheel is likewise rotated by the meshed relation of the butts and the wheel. When the meshed needle butts lie within a slot having a jack, the needle rests on top of the jack and is elevated by reason of the inclined orientation of the pattern wheel axis, to a knit or tuck position, depending upon the height of the jack. Where the needle butt enters a slot not having a. jack, the needle is not elevated but, rather, remains at the welt position. After passing beyond the pattern Wheel, all the needles are lowered to the cast off position.

Thus far the described device is in all respects conventional and can serve only continuously to repeat, with.

each full rotation of the pattern wheel, the single pattern to which the wheel has been set.

Generally, in accordance with the present invention, the multiple patterning effect is obtained with a single pattern wheel by providing groups of slots in the periphery of the pattern wheel, each group comprising two or more slots.`

The number of patterns which a given Wheel is capable of producing is normally coincident with the number of slots in each group. The selection of the pattern to be knit by -any particular wheel is effected without any subsequent manipulation of the wheel by providing the knitting cylinder with novel knitting needles having butt portions, at least some of which are offset from the axis of the body of the needle. The fabric designer is then enabled to determine which slot within a group will be entered by a particular needle by predetermining the offset relationship of the butt portion of such needle.

Thus, for example, in a pattern wheel having groups of two slots each, it is possible to select the pattern of the leading slot in each group or the trailing slot in each group, or a combination thereof, by charging the needle cylinder with needles whose butt portions are so positioned as to mesh with the desired slot in the group, upon relative rotation of the pattern wheel station and cylinder.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a circular knitting machine of the type to which the present improvement is directed;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pattern wheel in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic View of a pattern wheel station in accordance with the invention, taken from a position inside the needle cylinder;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to the View of FIGURE 3, showing the `interaction of the parts when used with a different type of knitting needle;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are fragmentary perspective views of first and second types of knitting needles;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic plan View of the relationship of the parts upon engagement of the needle butts with slots of a pattern wheel;

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic view of a segment of the pattern wheel and needle butt in accordance with the invention, indicating the dilferential performance in accordance with the type of needle which scans the pattern wheel.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a circular knitting machine 10 including a needle cylinder 11 and a plurality of pattern wheel stations 12, having pattern wheel assemblies 13 mounted at such stations. A yarn feed carriage 14, including a series of yam feed stations 15 corresponding in position with the pattern wheel stations, is shown. The machine is in all respects conventional and well known and will be described only insofar as it affects the invention hereof, which lies in the pattern wheels and the needles 16 carried by the needle cylinder 11.

In accordance with standard practice, the needles 16 have lower extensions 17 of shank or body portions 50 which are slidably mounted within grooves 18 on the outer periphery of the needle cylinder-see FIGURE 7. An annular cam of known design is formed concentric with the axis of the needle cylinder. It will be understood that circular knitting machines of the type herein described may operate either by rotation of the cylinder with respect to the pattern wheel stations and yarn stations, or by a rotation of the pattern wheel stations and yarn stations with respect to a stationary cylinder. While the presently illustrated device is of the former type, it will be readily understood that the invention is applicable to machines of either type.

For the sake of simplicity, in the device of the illustrated embodiment the pattern wheel 13 is of the two position type, i.e. the groups G each comprise two slots, although more complex groups, i.e. groups including greater numbers of slots, may be provided, depending only upon space limitations.

The annular cam comprises generally a series of spaced individual cams, respectively a raising cam 19 and a lowering or stitch cam 20. In the illustrated embodiment there is also provided a wing cam 21.

As is well known, it is the function of the raising cam 19 to engage the needle butt and position the same for nal adjustment by the pattern wheel 13. Likewise, after completion of the operation on the needle effected by the pattern wheel, it is the function of the stitch cam 20 or wing cam 21 to lower the needle butt to the cast-off position.

In accordance with the invention, the pattern wheel assembly 13 includes a pattern wheel disk 30 having formed therein a plurality of groups G of slots 31. The slots 31 extend radially along the upper surface 32 of the disk or wheel 30, the outer terminal edges 33 of said slots being formed entirely through the disk. Preferably, the portions of the slots 33 adjoining the periphery 34 of the disk or wheel are beveled, as at 3S, to facilitate entrance of the needle butts into the portions 33. An annular recessed portion 36 is provided to facilitate positioning of the needle butt lift jacks 37 within the slots 31.

As is well known and will be more fully described hereafter, the lift jacks 37 are set in the selected slots in the pattern wheel or disk and function to control the needle position to effect a knit or tuck, as desired. The setting of the pattern wheel by the selection of jacks within the slots to form a desired pattern is a well known art and will not be described further.

The assembly of the pattern wheel is completed by the capping element 38, which is clamped to the flange 39 of the disk 30 by machine screws 40, passed through apertures 41 of the capping element and into the complemental threaded apertures 42 of the disk 30. The element maintains the jacks in their predetermined selected positions.

The pattern wheels are rotatably mounted at the pattern wheel stations 12 by a stud 43 which passes through a bushing 44, which bushing is rotatably sleeved through aperture 45 in the flange 39 and aperture 46 in the washer 47. The composite is held in the desired position by a nut 4S threaded over the end of the stud 43.

With the exception of the spacing and location of the groups of slots, the remainder of the construction of the pattern wheel is conventional.

For ease of explanation, the corresponding slots within each group G will be referred to as a series. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the leading slots 31a of each group form a first series, the trailing slots 31b forming a second series. It will be further appreciated that each of the series will be charged with jacks in such manner that when each memberl of the series sequentially actuates a knitting needle, a predetermined desired pattern will be knit.

The slots 31 within each group are preferably equally spaced one from the other, the trailing and leading slots of each group being spaced from the closest slot of a neighboring group a distance which preferably varies from the spacing of the slots within the group.

The needles 16 include the usual shank or ybody portion 50 and include at their upper end, a hook 51. The needles will normally include the usual latch blade SZ-see FIG- URE 3, said latch blade being in most instances omitted from the views.

While the present embodiment is Ishown in connection with needles of the latch type, commonly called latch needles, it will be appreciated that other known types of needles may be incorporated. The needles 16 include butt portions 53, which butt portions, in the case of at least some of the needles, will lie in a plane which is laterally offset from the plane or axis which is described by the body portion 50 of the needle. The offset relationship may best be appreciated from the illustrations of FIG- URES 5, 6 and 7.

As shown in such figures, a short extension portion 53 substantially in the plane of the body portion 50 extends rearwardly from said body portion. A short angular extension 53, forming a continuation of the section 53', is directed out of the plane described by the body portion 50 and extension 53. The rearmost portion R of the needle butts is angularly oriented with respect to the section 53 in a manner such as to extend parallel to the plane of the body portion and section 53.

It will be recognized that while the illustrated needle embodiment is shown as made of a single piece of metal bent upon itself to the configurations aforesaid, a solid needle construction or a multi-part needle construction serving the desired function may be made.

The needle butts in the illustrated embodiment are shown to be of two types, i.e. leading offset butts 53a and trailing offset butts 53h, so called because they respectively lead and trail the slots in which the body portions are slidably supported. These butts, in the usual manner, extend radially beyond the outermost periphery 54 of the needle cylinder 11.

The operation of the device is as follows:

In the usual manner, the needle cylinder 11 is rotated about its vertical axis relative to the pattern wheel stations 12 (although, as previously indicated, in certain machines of this type the pattern wheel `stations 12 and yarn carrier 55 and associated annular cam mechanism may move relative to a stationary needle cylinder). In the course of such movement, the butt portions 53 of the needles will progressively ride up the inclined surface 19a of the raising cam 19, meshing with the end portion 33 of a slot 31. If the entered slot incorporates a jack 37, the butt portion is raised by the jack either to the tuck or knit position, as predetermined by the height of the jack. The continued movement of the needle causes a concomitant rotation of the pattern wheel, whereupon the next group of slots in the pattern wheel is advanced into position to receive the butt of the next succeeding needle. As the rotation of the cylinder continues, the butt 53 becomes cleared from the slot and where the butt has been lifted by a jack, passes over wing cam 21, engages against the downwardly `directed face 20a of stitch cam 20 and is thereby depressed to the cast off position, as is well known. Where the entered slot does not incorporate a jack, the butt passes beneath wing cam 21, whereupon it is depressed :and engages the stitch cam at an intermediate position.

As best seen in FIGURE 7, the slot 31a or 31b within each group with which the needlebutt 53a or 53h will be meshed is dependent upon the direction of offset of the `needle butt. In FIGURE 7 there is shown in solid lines a plurality of trailing needle butts 53h, each of which, by reason of its trailing offset, will engage within the trailing slots 31b in the three groups G shown in FIGURE 7. Also shown in FIGURE 7 in dot and dash is a single needle butt 53a, showing the position which such butt would occupy and showing that such butt would mesh with a leading slot 31a of the pattern wheel.

In the illustration of FIGURE 7, the trailing `slots 31b are shown as charged with jacks 37, while the leading slots 31a are empty. Thus, it will be observed that where the pattern whel is positioned as shown in FIGURE 7, a butt of the trailing type will be disposed in 1a slot having a jack and will, accordingly, be lifted to a yarn taking height, either knit or tuck. Conversely, a needle having a leading butt, passing the pattern wheel position as shown is FIGURE 7, would enter an empty slot and would not be lifted to operative position to engage the yarn.

This relationship is shown again in FIGURE 8 wherein a sectional view of a trailing needle butt 53h is shown in lsolid lines and a similar section of a leading butt 53a is shown in dot and dash lines.

In FIGURE 3, a trailing butt 5317 is again shown in the successive positions which it will occupy upon meshing with a jack loaded trailing slot and upon scanning across the yarn station. As previously described, the needle is lifted to knitting position and thereupon passes over wing cam 21, to be depressed by the stitch cam.

In FIGURE 4, a needle having a leading butt 53a is shown in the successive positions which it will occupy upon meshing with an open or non-jack loaded slot, such needle not being raised beyond the height provided by the raising cam and pas-sing beneath and being depressed first by the wing cam and then by the stitch cam.

From the foregoing, it will be -observed that each series of slots may be set to produce a different pattern and that the needles charged into the needle cylinder may be set to enter a selected series of slots in the pattern wheel by coordinating the offset of the needle to mesh with the slot of each group forming a member of the desired series.

It will thus be evident that the cut of the pattern wheel, i.e. the number of slots around the complete circumference of the pattern wheel, where there are two slots in each group, as in the illustrated embodiment, will be twice that of an ordinary pattern wheel, which is calcuiated to operate a given number of needles. Thus, where ordinarily a pattern wheel is set to actuate 96 needles -upon one full rotation of the pattern wheel, there will be provided 192 slots in the pattern wheel in accordance with the invention, although only 96 of the slot-s will be actively employed in a single rotation of the pattern wheel. Thus, each needle butt will mesh with one slot only of each group as the needle scans the yarn pick up station.

It should be noted that in the drawings, yarn has not been illustrated since the action of the knitting needles in picking up the yarn at the tuck or knit position is well known and forms no part of this invention.

While the pattern wheel of the illustrated embodiment has been shown with two series of pattern selector slots, i.e. each group consisting of two slots, it will be readily recognized that a needle butt and slot arrangement whereby a single wheel is capable of forming three or more distinct patterns is feasible.

While for purposes of emphasis, right hand and left hand offset needle butts have been illustrated, it is con- .templated to select between the series of patterns through the use of needle butts having varying lateral offset relationship lbetween the butts and the needle body. For instance, it is possible to employ one needle butt which is aligned with the body and another needle butt or butts which are laterally offset from the body. Similarly, where more than three series of slots are provided, the degree of offset of the needle butt from the needle body may be varied to secure an arrangement wherein greater selectivity is achieved.

Further, an arrangement is ycontemplated wherein a more or less standard series of pattern wheels may be provided. In such series, each group is formed of three slots, one slot being provided with a knit jack, one with a tuck jack and one with an empty or welt slot. It will be appreciated that in such arrangement, the pattern may be set exclusively through vary-ing the needles.

`From the above it will be observed that a pattern wheel knitting machine is obtained having far greater flexibility in the nature of the patterns which may be formed than was heretofore possible with known circular knitting machines of the pattern wheel type. It should further be noted that the device of the invention may be Iincorporated within existing circular knitting machines of the pattern wheel type merely by substituting needles in accordance with the invention and pattern wheels in accordance with the invention for the needles and pattern wheels of the existing devices.

Moreover, the flexibility of pattern aforesaid is achieved without the use of complex jacquarding drums, cards or the like, and without the use of complex apparatus for shifting the jack positions during operation of the device.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters lPatent is:

1. A pattern wheel knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder having axially aligned needle grooves, a pattern wheel station adjacent the periphery of said cylinder, means for relatively rotating said station and said cylinder about the axis of said cylinder, a first group of knitting needles having body portions slidably mounted in said grooves and having butt portions extending radially beyond the periphery of said cylinder, the butt portions of said first group being laterally offset with respect to the body portions of said needles, a second group of knitting needles having Ibody portions slida-bly mounted in said grooves and having lbutt portions extending radially beyond the periphery of said cylinder, the butt portions of said second group having a different lateral relationship with respect to the body portion of the needles of sa-id second group than said butt portions and body portions of said first group, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station and having a plurality of sets of radially extending grooves, each said set including a first groove and a second groove angularly spaced from said first groove, said lbutt portions of said first type being positioned to mesh with said first groove of each said set and said butt portions of said second groove being positioned to mesh with said second groove of each said se-t upon relative rotation of said station and said cylinder.

2. A pattern wheel knitting device comprising a needle cylinder, a pattern Wheel station adjacent the periphery of said cylinder, a plurality of knitting needles on said cylinder mounted for sliding movement in `the direction of the axis of said cylinder, sa-id needles having butt portions projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said cylinder, the butt portions of a first group of said needles being laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of said needles, the butt portions of a second group of needles being in a different lateral orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the needles of said second group lthan the orientation of the butts and longitudinal axis of said first group, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station and having a plurality of sets of inwardly directed slots spaced about the periphery of said wheel,

each said set including at least two slots and means for rotating said cylinder and station relative to each other to cause said butts progressively to mesh with one slot of each set, thereby to rotate said wheel an increment, the slot within a group with which each needle butt is meshed being determined by the lateral orientation of the butt with respect of the longitudinal axis of its associated needle.

3. A pattern wheel knitting device comprising a needle cylinder, a pattern wheel station, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station, a first series of slots extending inwardly from the periphery of said wheel, a second series of slots extending inwardly from the periphery of said wheel, each slot of said second series being disposed at a fixed angular position with respect to a slot of said first series, needles carried by said cylinder and having butt portions projecting outwardly beyond the periphery of said cylinder, at least a group of said butt portions being offset from the longitudinal axis of said needles in a first manner and others of said butt portions being oriented with respect to their longitudinal axis in a different manner than the butt portions of the needles in said group, means for relatively rotating said cylinder and said pattern wheel about the axis of said cylinder, said group of butt portions being positioned to mesh with the slots of one said series, and said butt portions not in said group being positioned to mesh with the slots of said other series.

4. A knitting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least some of said slots are provided with butt lift jacks.

5. A pattern wheel knitting machine comprising a cylinder having a plurality of axially aligned grooves formed in said cylinder, said grooves being spaced apart at an equal angular distance one from the other, a plurality of knitting needles slidably mounted in said grooves, said needles having butt portions extending radially beyond the periphery of said cylinder, the butt portions of some adjacent needles being spaced a first distance apart and the butt portions of other adjacent needles being spaced apart a second and different distance, a pattern wheel station mounted adjacent the periphery of said cylinder, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station, a meshing area disposed between said pattern wheel and said cylinder, a plurality of slots inwardly directed from the periphery of said pattern wheel, means for relatively rotating said cylinder and pattern wheel station about the axis of said cylinder to engage each butt portion with a slot in said wheel as said butt portion passes said meshing area, the slot in said pattern wheel within which each said needle butt is meshed being dependent upon the lateral spacing of the needle butt with respect to the groove within which the needle having said butt is carried.

6. In a pattern wheel knitting machine of the type described, a rotatably mounted pattern wheel having a plurality of groups of angularly spaced apart slots, each said group including at least two slots, a plurality of knitting needles slidably disposed in said machine and including outwardly directed butt portions, means for shifting said butt portions past said pattern wheel whereby said butt portions progressively enter into one slot only in each group and rotate said pattern wheel `an increment, at least some of said butt portions being laterally offset with respect to the body of said needles.

7. For use in a pattern wheel type knitting machine having a pattern wheel station, a needle cylinder having shiftable knitting needles mounted on said cylinder, and means for relatively rotating said station and said cylinder about the axis of said cylinder, a pattern wheel adapted to cause said needles to knit at least two distinct patterns comprising a disk member rotatably mounted at said station, said member having a plurality of groups of angularly spaced apart slots extending inwardly from the periphery of said disk, each group having at least two slots, the spacing of the adjacent slots within a group 8 being different than the spacing of the last slot of one group and the next adjacent slot.

8. In a knitting device of the pattern wheel type, a pattern wheel adapted to knit a first pattern when used with knitting needles having butts having a first lateral relation to the body thereof, and a second and different pattern when used with needles wherein the butt portion and body portion have a second and different lateral relation, said pattern wheel having slots extending radially inward from the periphery, the angular spacing of at least some of said slots at the periphery being different than the angular spacing of others of said slots.

9. A pattern wheel knitting device comprising a cylinder having a plurality of axially aligned grooves, a pattern wheel station, means for relatively rotating said station and said cylinder about the axis of said cylinder, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station, a plurality of sets of radially extending slots formed in the periphery of said wheel, each said set including at least two angularly spaced apart slots, a plurality of needles having body portions slidably mounted in said grooves of said cylinder and having butt portions projecting radially outward beyond the periphery of said cylinder, at least some of said butt portions being laterally offset from the body portion of said needles, the butt portion of each said needle being positioned to mesh with one of the slots of a set as said cylinder and said station are relatively rotated about the axis of said cylinder, the slot with which said butt is meshed being predetermined in response to the lateral orientation of the butt to the body portion of each needle.

10. In a pattern wheel knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder having axially disposed needle grooves, a pattern wheel station adjacent the periphery of said cylinder, and means for relatively rotating said station and cylinder about the axis of said cylinder, a pattern wheel rotatably mounted at said station and having a series of sets of radially extending slots, each said set including at least a leading slot and a trailing slot, first and second groups of knitting needles having body portions slidable in said grooves and butt portions radially projecting beyond the periphery of said cylinder, the butt portions of the needles of said first group being in a first laterally oriented position relative to the longitudinal axis of said needles and the butt portions of the needles of said second group being in a second and differing oriented position with respect to the longitudinal axis of said needles, the butts of one said group meshing with the trailing slots and the butts of the other said group meshing with the leading slots of said pattern wheel, upon relative rotation of said cylinder and pattern wheel station.

1l. For use in a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder and a pattern wheel station having a rotatably mounted pattern wheel, a knitting needle including a body portion, an eye at one end of said body portion, and a butt portion, said butt portion including an intermediate portion angularly oriented with respect to the plane of said body portion and a rearward portion extending outwardly from said angularly oriented portion, said rearward portion being aligned in parallelism with the plane of said body portion.

12. In a pattern wheel knitting machine of the type described, a rotatably mounted pattern wheel having a plurality of groups of angularly spaced apart slots, each said group including at least two slots, a plurality of knitting needles slidably disposed in said machine and including outwardly directed butt portions, means for shifting said butt portions past said pattern wheel whereby said butt portions progressively enter into one slot only in each group and rotate said pattern wheel an increment, the axis of at least some of the butt portions of said needles being laterally offset with respect to the axis of the body portion of said needles.

(Other reerences on following page) 9 References Cited by the Examiner 3,010,298 3,052,108 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,075,372 10/1940 Williams 66-123 3,145,548

2/1940 Page 66-123 5 1/ 1942 Saftlas et al. 66--50 11/1947 Currier 66-123 251450 8/1961 Levin 66-50 11/1961 Schmidt 66-50 9/ 1962 Lumsden 66-69 1/ 1963 Philip 66-50 8/ 1964 Mishcon 66--50 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1926 Great Britain.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PATTERN WHEEL KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A NEEDLE CYLINDER HAVING AXIALLY ALIGNED NEEDLE GROOVES, A PATTERN WHEEL STATION ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR RELATIVELY ROTATING SAID STATION AND SAID CYLINDER ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER, AD FIRST GROUP OF KNITTING NEEDLES HAVING BODY PORTIONS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVES AND HAVING BUTT PORTIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDER, THE BUTT PORTION OF SAID FIRST GROUP BEING LATERALLY OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE BODY PORTIONS OF SAID NEEDLES, A SECOND GROUP OF KNITTING NEEDLES HAVING BODY PORTIONS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GROOVES AND HAVING BUTT PORTIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDER, THE BUTT PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND GROUP HAVING A DIFFERENT LATERAL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE BODY PORTION OF THE NEEDLES OF SAID SECOND GROUP THAN SAID BUTT PORTIONS AND BODY PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST GROUP, A PATTERN WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT SAID STATION AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SETS OF RADIALLY EXTENDING GROOVES, EACH SAID SET INCLUDING A FIRST GROOVE AND A SECOND GROOVE ANGULARLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST GROOVE, SAID BUTT PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST TYPER BEING POSITIONED TO MESH WITH SAID FIRST GROOVE OF EACH SAID SET AND SAID BUTT PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND GROOVE BEING POSITIONED TO MESH WITH SAID SECOND GROOVE OF EACH SAID SET UPON RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID STATION AND SAID CYLINDER. 